FACULTY OF MEDICAL SCIENCES
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in the building, and because there was no teaching in most of the large laborato- ries, and consequently less need for cleaning after the tutorials. On the other side, we insisted on the cleaning protocols adopted during the pandemic (i.e., repeated cleaning of the most touched surfaces during the day), protocols which actually originated from BMS. One of the negative consequences related to the COVD-19 pandemic was to freeze the establishment of some programmes: BSc Nutritional Sciences, MSC in Molecular Therapy (in collaboration with a company called Giostar) and Degree in Funeral Services. Because of the return to face-to-face teaching (Semester I Academic Year 2022–2023), with the students present during the labs, we are in a situation requiring more reagents. Consequently, we requested for Academic Year 2022–2023 the same sum as in AY2018–2019, right before the pandemic. The budget was slightly increased in Academic Year 2022–2023, particularly concerning the cleaning supplies. However, considering the inflation, the constant devaluation of the Jamaican dollar, and the increase in the shipping costs, a reduction by around one third of the quantities of supplies that could have been purchased with the same sum in Academic Year 2018–2019 was anticipated. This fluid situation needed an adjustment of the budget and the amount was actually slightly adjusted during Semester II Academic Year 2022–2023. The recommendations of the Quality Assurance Review (QAR) team were to start a curriculum mapping in order to streamline content across programmes, to put in place a more efficient procurement system with dedicated accounts for expenditure and graduate research, to increase student-based learning, to build a new Animal House compatible with international criteria, while overall stressing the urgent need to acquire funding to meet the Academic mission. Concerning the Animal House, a discussion with the former FMS Dean, currently Deputy Principal, Dr. Tomlin Paul, suggested to build a three tiered structure, with the Animal House on the ground floor, a shared area for multidisciplinary research, including biobanking (including proteomics, genomics) on the 2nd floor, and teaching spaces for growing programmes initially not planned to be in FMSTRC (i.e., PharmD, SMRT) on the 3rd floor. However, these plans might be incompatible with the current financial situation of the University. On a positive note, the Department continued to contribute to the digital trans- formation in both teaching and research, to participate in cross-campus teaching, to foster multidisciplinary research in different fields in a more collaborative way between the sections, as well as with different Schools and Faculties on Mona Campus and internationally, and finally to be engaged in outreach.
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